1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid composition for topical application, as well as to its use in cosmetics and/or dermatology, in particular for conditioning and/or treating the skin, the scalp, the hair and/or mucous membranes, for making up the skin and/or keratin fibers such as the eyelashes and the hair, and for styling and/or shaping keratin fibers, and in particular the hair.
2. Description of the Background
Products in solid form are known in the cosmetics industry. Products of this type include, for example, in the field of make-up, tubes or "sticks" of lipstick, foundation or eyeshadow; in the field of skin- or lip-care, lip-repair pencils and depigmenting, make-up-removing or moisturizing tubes or "sticks"; in the field of hygiene, deodorant sticks and foaming sticks or bars for shaving or washing the skin. Solid products also include patches, which act, in particular, transdermally, for example, either to make an active agent penetrate the skin or to cleanse the skin.
Formulated sticks based on waxes have certain drawbacks: they have a greasy nature which users do not appreciate and they lack freshness when applied. In addition, it is difficult to introduce hydrophilic active agents therein.
Moreover, non-greasy sticks such as deodorant sticks generally contain a relatively large amount of fatty acid salts, which may exhibit an irritant effect in applications where care of the skin of the face is desired. Moreover, these sticks leave a sticky film after application to the skin.
Aqueous rigid gels are disclosed in the publications WO-A-97/17055 and WO-A-97/17053. However, these gels require a fairly high concentration of gelling agent or involve a specific preparation technique such as extrusion. In addition, the sticks described in publication WO-A-97/17055 lack transparency and, because of the high concentration of gelling agent, lack freshness and softness when they are applied to the skin. The sticks described in publication WO-A-97/17053 must be hydrated at the time of use.
Publication EP 0 803 245 describes aqueous solid compositions containing heat-reversible polysaccharides, a wetting agent and a powdery phase (fillers). However, the presence of a powdery phase may give rise to the drawbacks of a visible trace when the composition is applied to the skin and a reduction in the sensation of comfort of the skin. Further, when the powdery phase is removed from the composition described in the publication, a composition is obtained which is neither sufficiently solid nor sufficiently stable, and which does not give satisfactory transfer or deposition of the product on the skin. Thus, there is still a need for a solid composition for topical application to the skin which does not have the drawbacks of the prior art.